Fifty Years of Ruby - From Smalltalk to Modern Programming

Explore a 29-minute conference talk from RubyConf 2024 that delves into the fascinating parallels between Ruby and Smalltalk programming languages. Discover how modern computing concepts like GUIs, WYSIWYG, and IDEs emerged from Xerox PARC in the early 1970s, with a focus on Alan Kay's groundbreaking work. Learn about the historical development of Smalltalk since its 1972 release and understand how Ruby independently evolved to embrace similar concepts. Gain valuable insights into Ruby's foundations and potential future directions by examining its philosophical and technical connections to Smalltalk's innovative programming paradigms.